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Monday, October 26, 2009

The Lighthouse Keeper's Rhubarb Bread - Blue Monday

Lime Kiln Lighthouse - San Juan Island, Washington

Nieuwpoort Lighthouse - Belgium

Kilauea Lighthouse - Kauai, Hawaii

The Lighthouse Keeper's Rhubarb Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have an unapologetic love for covered bridges and lighthouses. The bridges are predictable. The lighthouses, at least the ones I've seen, are unique. Both speak to times now past and both have become redundant. Communities struggle to keep them as monuments to a proud past, but I suspect their days are numbered. Today's recipe comes from a lighthouse keeper. A lighthouse keeper was the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, its lamps and lenses. The advent of electricity sounded their death kneel and global positioning systems delivered the coup de gras. In an effort to raise funds, while recording snippets of history, lighthouse societies in various parts of the country have collected recipes that capture the meals eaten by the keepers from the 1700's through to today. This recipe comes from the children's book "The Little Traverse Light" by Elizabeth Whitney Williams. The bread is easy and delicious - really delicious. If you don't like rhubarb substitute raspberries. You won't be sorry you tried this one.

Oh, Mary... love that lighthouse! What a special place. We used to have a door on our downstairs bath in St. Augustine that came from the light tender's boat in St. Augustine. It was his hatch door. The light keeper was responsible for keeping the oil filled in the harbor lights during the 1800's. The door was quite old when it came our way through a local antiques dealer, and we enjoyed it in our St. Augustine house for many years. I took it out when we decided to list the house because I didn't want someone throwing it out should they decide it was too primitive to use. Instead, I had one copied by our carpenter for that same bath. So, as you can see, I love lighthouses and all things involving nautical travel, too.

And would you believe that I've never before eaten rhubarb??? I know that sounds provincial of me that I've never tried it, but it is not something that is regularly eaten in the South. Not quite sure why, but this bread sounds OH, so tempting! Thanks for sharing the recipe and the lovely pictures...

Gorgeous! Your bread looks like it has sweet potato or pumpkin in it with the lovely autumn color, but the ingredients don't have it at all! Wow! How did you get such a deceptively delicious color? I've never tried rhubarb before (probably never will seeing as I never buy it) but looks good.

I love rhubarb but alas, we won't be having any more until spring! It's a cool weather crop and you can't even find it in the stores! I've made cakes and breads with it and it is yummy! Next spring, I'll have to try this one!

that's a fun book and great idea for a fund raiser. I grew up near 3 covered bridges, and remember the day they had to declare one unsafe. After 3 years of fund raising efforts, it was finally demolished (in the public interest).

I too love bridges and lighthouses. Your posts are always so interesting. I love to come here. Thank you so much for another great recipe.p.s. I tried the Barnbrake bread but I killed the yeast and it didn't rize. I'm going to try it again soon though :>)

I LOVE covered bridges and lighthouses, too, Mary. Out here on the plains of West Texas, we have neither. Maybe that is why I like them so much. BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is one of my favorite movies, which really doesn't have one thing to do with all this!! haaahhhaaa...ANYway, I think this bread sounds delicious. I will make it with the berries instead of rhubarb.Have a blessed day,bj

We were at the Kilauea Lighthouse just last year! It's spectacular to see the view and it brought back nostalgic memories for me. I love the simplicity of this cake. Buttermilk and oil, I would imagine, would make this moist. I happen to like rhubarb and I could imagine enjoying this, warm, on a Sunday morning with a cup of Kauai Coffee that I have shipped to me monthly!

Living in the Northwest allows us to see the covered bridges and lighthouses. We do stop and look at them with thoughts of earlier days. We have our favorites! I've got the recipe copied and headed for the kitchen! Do you think I could substitute the rhubarb for cranberries?

Karen, I have used frozen rhubarb. Make sure it is dry before putting it in the cake batter. Rhubarb is available year round here in Oregon so I don't usually use it in this bread, but it can be done. You can also use raspberries.

Love the lighthouse photos, Mary.I've always thought they were beautiful, so I find it sad that they are are no longer needed. Rhubarb bread sounds delicious; I've not had it, but I'm sure the rhubarb really adds a lot of flavor! Thanks!

I love lighthouses..there history is fascinating. You have some marvelous recipes..too bad I don't cook much anymore. I should ask though....do you have any low fat, low cholesterol snack recipes..I'd cook for that! :0)

Oh, and you are right..you would not believe how much Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville have grown. I live about 5 miles from Gatlinburg out on a mountain ridge...I love it here due to being able to have the wilderness around but at the same time only 15 minutes from just about anything. :0) The best of both worlds.

This looks good, Mary. I will probably use raspberries cause I don't know where to get rhubarbs. I made your celery soup last night and it was really good. Thanks again for sharing our recipes!...Christine

Hi Mary, I'm so glad you posted a good rhubarb recipe. The only thing in the entire lives of my children that they said absolutely made them sick to their stomachs was a rhubard pie I made in 1977. Well I of course was not married to Mike then so maybe if I make this I could entice him to eat it since he has no history with my rhubard creations. Mollye

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